Cebu

Categories: Provinces of the Philippines

Cebu is also a variant spelling of the cattle known as Zebu.

Cebu is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. It's capital is Cebu City. Cebu is a long narrow island that stretches 225 km. from north to south and is surrounded by 167 neighboring small islands, including Mactan Island, Bantayan, Daanbantayan, the Camotes Islands, etc.

Cebu is one of the most developed provinces in the country. The metropolitan area of Cebu City (which includes Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City) is second only to Metro Manila in population in the country.

Cebu lies to the east of Negros Island; to the east is Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol province. It is flanked on both sides by the straits of Cebu (between Cebu and Bohol) and Tañon (between Cebu and Negros).

Cebu is served by Mactan-Cebu International Airport, which is located in Lapu-Lapu City, some thirty minutes drive from downtown Cebu City.

Contents 1 People and Culture 1.1 Native Language 1.2 Religion 1.3 Population 2 Economy 3 Mass Media 3.1 Television 3.2 Newspapers 4 Geography 4.1 Political 4.1.1 Cities 4.1.2 Municipalities 4.2 Physical 4.3 Infrastructure 4.3.1 South Reclamation Project 5 History 5.1 The Magellan Expedition 5.2 The Spanish Conquest and Colonial Period 5.3 World War II 5.4 2004 Philippine General Elections 6 Landmarks 7 Festivals 8 External links

People and Culture

The people of Cebu are called Cebuanos and are of indigenous Malayan, Negrito, Spanish, Mexican and Chinese ancestries. Cebu is also home to a number of Spanish and ethnic Chinese communities who play an important economic and marketing role in the Cebuano society. Visayan - Cebuano culture is laid back and easy going; the people are friendly and have preserved strong Spanish-oriented traditions in its cultural life to this very day.

Native Language

Linguistically, Cebu is home to the country's second largest native group. Cebuano was originally spoken only in the island of Cebu. However, it is now being spoken in many parts of Mindanao, the eastern part of Negros Island, the western and southern parts of Leyte, Bohol, and in Samar. The term Visayan came from an ancient Malay kingdom, called the Sri Vishayan Empire which ruled some parts of the Philippines in the 14th century before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.

Religion

The patron saint of Cebu is the Santo Niño de Cebu, who is Jesus represented as a child. The statue is housed in the country's oldest church, the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. According to historical accounts, the Santo Niño was given by the Portuguese sea captain and explorer Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of the chief, Rajah Humabon as a gift to celebrate their alliance. That act is depicted in Cebu's largest, most popular cultural event, the Sinulog where street-dancing and loud drum beats preceded by a holy mass is the main attraction.

Previously a part of the Archdiocese of Manila, Cebu was later made into a separate diocese, independent of the Manila archdiocese. It has several major churches, including the Basilica, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, the San Carlos Church, the Sto. Rosario Parish Church, San Jose-Recoletos Church, Sacred Heart of Jesus, etc. as well as several other non-Catholic churches. Most of the population in Cebu are Roman Catholic (as in most Philippine provinces, with the possible exception of Mindanao) though there are some thriving Muslim communities, most of whom are migrants from the islands of Mindanao.

Other religious minorities include Protestant churches of Iglesia ni Cristo, Jehovah's Witnesses, God's Kingdom, the Baptists, United Church of Christ in the Philippines, Latter Day Saints (Mormons), etc.

Population

In the Census of Population and Housing (Census 2000), Cebu City recorded a total population of 718,821 persons, 56,522 more compared to the 1995 Census of Population (POPCEN) results. Cebu City has one of the country's highest annual population growth rate, recording at 1.77 percent for the years 1995 to 2000. At the national level, the city shared 0.94 percent to the total population of 76.5 million as recorded in the Census 2000 within cebu.

Economy

Cebu's economy is a hodgepodge of industries and commercial ventures. Recently, due to its burgeoning furniture-making industry, Cebu has been hailed as the furniture capital of the Philippines. The Department of Trade and Industry in Cebu is aiming to develop this aspect of Cebu economy by specifically targeting small to medium enterprises or SMEs whose products are considered export-quality. Cebu itself does not have a rich source of raw materials for furniture-making due to denudation of the forests, however, several the manufacturers are able to procure their materials from other islands and from imports as well. Cebu has two major economic zones located in Mactan - the Mactan Export Processing Zone I and II (MEPZ I & MEPZ II).

Besides furniture-making, Cebu is also fast becoming the IT capital of Southern Philippines. Many companies, either local or outsourced, are establishing their headquarters in Cebu. The city has become a site for various U.S. call centers and BPOs. The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an organization comprised of Cebu's businesses, are hedging the city's growth and economy on information and communications technology, with the aim of making it a premier ICT investment, software, and e-services hub in Southeast Asia.

Mass Media

Television

Cebu is largely dependent on Manila-based television and media networks for news and information on both regional and nationwide scopes. Despite its growing economy and great population of over 3.5 million people, Cebu only has 2 local networks, Cebu Channel 28 and Real Cebu Television (RCTV), both of which can only run 1 channel each and are also limited to cable television. Despite the creative programming and strong promotions, most Cebuano televiewers (especially people living outside Metro Cebu) continue to miss out on the two local networks.

Like the rest of the country, Cebu's TV market is dominated by the duopoly between GMA Network and ABS-CBN. While ABS-CBN has led GMA in the island for many years, recent surveys showed that GMA has signifcantly reduced ABS-CBN's share of the market. "Balitang Bisdak", GMA's Cebuano-language news program, is currently the number 1 news program in Cebu averaging more than 10 points better than the Cebuano version of "TV Patrol" (ABS-CBN) in the ratings.

Cebu is the newest battleground for TV ratings between GMA Network and ABS-CBN. On May 1, 2005 both giant networks conducted its own "fans day" activities with concerts, autograph signing, free medical services, all-star appearances and more. GMA invested P40,000,000 for its week-long activities while ABS-CBN spent P30,000,000. It was estimated that during the May 1 activities, GMA attracted more people than ABS-CBN, 55,000 to 28,000.

Newspapers

While national newspapers have presence in the island, Cebu has three English-language local newspapers: The Freeman, Sun Star and Cebu Daily News.

As of 2005, each of the local dailies sell for P10 a copy, which is much cheaper than their national counterparts. The Freeman is owned by the Gullas political clan while Sun Star is owned by the Garcia clan. Cebu Daily News on the other hand is controlled by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the nation's leading newspaper.

Geography

Cebu is located between 9°25'N and 11°15'N latitude and between 123°13'E and 124°5'E longitude in the center of the Philippine archipelago. It is 365 miles south of Manila.

Political

Cebu is subdivided into 47 municipalities and 6 cities.

Cities

• Cebu City
• Danao City
• Lapu-Lapu City
• Mandaue City
• Talisay City
• Toledo City

Municipalities

Alcantara Alcoy Alegría Aloguinsan Argao Asturias Badian Balamban Bantayan Barili Bogo Boljoon Borbon Carcar Carmen Catmon Compostela Consolación Cordoba Daanbantayan Dalaguete Dumanjug Ginatilan Liloan

Madridejos Malabuyoc Medellin Minglanilla Moalboal Naga Oslob Pilar Pinamungahan Poro Ronda Samboan San Fernando San Francisco San Remigio Santa Fe Santander Sibonga Sogod Tabogon Tabuelan Tuburan Tudela

Physical

The main island of Cebu is a long, narrow slither of land flanked on both sides by Tañon Strait and the Strait of Cebu. To its southeastern tip is a small body of land that is Mactan Island. Cebu is comprised of hundreds of small islands, some of which are uninhabited which make them the targets of adventure-seeking tourists.

Cebu is known for its narrow coastlines, limestone plateaus, and coastal plains, all characteristics of a typical tropical island. However, Cebu also has predominant rolling hills and rugged mountain ranges traversing the northern and southern lengths of the island.

Cebu's steep mountains reach over 1,000 meters but there is actually a substantial lack of adequate forest cover. Flat tracts of land can be found in towns of Bogo, San Remigio, Cebu, Medellin, and Daan Bantayan at the northern tip of the province.

Infrastructure

Cebu is continuing to develop its infrastructure to make travel more efficient as it continues to attract more investors and tourists.

To date, Cebu's infrastructure is highlighted by the two steel bridges that connect Mactan Island with the main island.

South Reclamation Project

Cebu City on the other hand has the much-anticipated South Reclamation Project (SRP), a massive pile of reclaimed land estimated to be at around 300 hectares. Cebu City has plans to sell or lease land to potential investors and big businesses. Among the planned construction projects for the SRP is a modern sports complex (replacing the overused Cebu City Sports Center) and a hotel. Mall operators also expressed interest to build malls and pour their investments in the SRP.

The SRP has a modern highway (called South Coastal Road) which connects Cebu City to Talisay City and due to its quality and isolation, the road cuts travel time between the two cities by as much as 50 minutes.

History

Before the arrival of the Spaniards, Cebu, then known as Zubu (or Sugbo in Visayan), was a thriving fishing village and a busy trading post, with trade routes to China, Siam, Arabia as well as the nearby Malay islands.

The Magellan Expedition

On April 7, 1521, the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan landed on Cebu island. He was on expedition under the command of the Spanish king and his goal was to search for the fabled island of Moluccas and to see about expanding the Spanish territories to the Orient.

Magellan persuaded the Chief of Cebu, Rajah Humabon to swear oath and allegiance to the Spanish King Charles V . Accompanied by Spanish Dominican friars, the expedition was responsible for the first wave of Christianity in the Philippines. On April 14, Magellan erected a large wooden cross on the shores of Cebu where the first Holy Mass in the Philippines was also held. Afterwards, some 400 native Cebuanos were baptized, along with Rajah Humabon and his wife who took the Christian names Carlos and Juana, respectively to honor the Spanish King. The Santo Niño was also presented to the queen as a symbol of peace between the Spaniards and the natives.

Encouraged by his success in Cebu, Magellan later crossed the channel to the nearby island of Mactan which was under the rule of Muslim Datu Lapu-Lapu. On April 27, the historic Battle of Mactan occurred where Magellan was killed and his men were driven off the island by the natives. According to historian and chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan's body was never recovered despite efforts to trade for it with spice and jewels.

Magellan's second-in-command, Juan Sebastián Elcano took his place and sailed the remainder of the fleet to Spain, taking a route different from the eastern route as opposed to the western route which they took when they first arrived. In so doing, the fleet became the first to "circumnavigate the world."

The Spanish Conquest and Colonial Period

Survivors of the Magellan Expedition brought tales of a savage island in the Orient with them when they returned to Spain. Consequently, several follow-up expeditions were sent but all ended in failure.

Forty-four years after Magellan first set foot in Cebu, in 1565, conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi and his 500 armed soldiers together with several Augustinian and Franciscan friars arrived and declared that the Spanish crown succeeded in colonizing the islands. Legazpi and his men then marched through Zugbo and bombarded the palisades of chieftain Rajah Tupas and destroyed the village. He and his men, later rebuilt it and called it Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesús (Village of the Most Holy Name of Jesus). Thus, in 1569, it became the first Spanish settlement established by the Spanish Cortés in the Philippines.

On August 141571, Cebu (Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesús) was detached from the Catholic diocese of Manila and became a diocese of its own. When Legazpi departed for Manila in 1571, he did not abandon Cebu. Instead, he employed garrisons and a provincial governor to look after it and left half of his soldiers in Cebu.

Three centuries later, in June 12, 1898 marked the end of the Spanish era and the onset of the American regime. In 1901, Cebu became a municipality and on February 24, 1937 became a chartered city.

World War II

Cebu, being the most densely populated island in the country, served as a vital Japanese base during the Japanese occupation in World War II which began with the landing of the Japanese Imperial Army on April 1942. Three years later on March 1945, an American force landed and reoccupied the city, resulting in a Japanese surrender.

2004 Philippine General Elections

For the first time ever, the nation recognized the province of Cebu as a major source of votes during the 2004 National Elections. With an estimated 1.6 million registered voters, Cebu was easily the heaviest voting province in the country (followed by Pangasinan with 1.3 million).

For the 2004 elections, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her K4 coalition won a landslide victory over their opponents. Arroyo won about 1.2 million votes in Cebu, followed by the Koalisyong ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) presidential candidate Fernando Poe, Jr., with less than 200,000 votes. Among senatorial candidates, the K4 overwhelmed the KNP as Cebu voters gave them a 10 to 2 advantage (12 senate seats were up for grabs). On the vice-presidential race, Noli de Castro (K4) won a similar number of votes reflected to that of his running-mate Arroyo.

Landmarks

• Magellan's Cross
• Fort San Pedro
• Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
• Magellan shrine
• Lapu Lapu shrine
• Capitolio Building
• Marcelo Fernan Bridge

Festivals

SINULOG Celebrated every 3rd Sunday of January, is Cebu's biggest and most popular. The feast is in honor of the holy image Senor Santo Nino de Cebu. Fiesta Senor as it widely known, is the most celebrated among Cebu's festivals where people converge along the route of a grand solemn procession and partake in the gaiety amidst a mardigras parade immersed in vivid colors and the constant drums of the Pit Senor

PASKUHAN A Christmas celebration of songs and lantern making held during the month of December spread good cheers to local residents and visitors alike.

KADAUGAN SA MACTAN A one day re-enactment celebrated with pomp and pageantry every 27th of April to commemorate the historic Battle of Mactan between the forces of Lapulapu and Magellan.

VIRGIN OF THE RULE FIESTA Held to honor the patroness of Opon on November 20-21, this religious and social event reveals the deep religious faith of the people and the penchant for merry making. A food fair, a procession and a coronation of the Fiesta Queen highlight the festivity.

SEMANA SANTA SA BANTAYAN A unique mixture of solemn religious rites and local celebration highlights the Holy Week activities in Bantayan Island. The normally quiet island is visited by relatives and friends of the residents, as well as tourists to experience the scenic rites and to cool off the summer heat in the beautiful white sandy beaches and clear tropical waters.

FIESTA SA CARCAR Is celebrated on November 24-25 in honor of the town's patron. St. Catherine of Alexandria Carcar town is noted for Its old Spanish style houses in the quiet countryside setting. During fiestas, the residents would invite friends, relatives and town visitors into their homes to taste popular local delicacies. A lively and enjoyable event.

NUESTRA SEÑORA DE REGLA FIESTA Lapulapu City - Held to honor the patroness of Opon on November 20-21, this religious and social event reveals faith of the people and the penchant for merry making. A food fair, carnival, procession and a coronation of the Fiesta Queen highlight the festivity.

TAGBO Poro, Cebu - Celebrated every January in honor of Patron Santo Niño de Poro. Beloved memoir of a living past, Tagbo is the cornerstone from which this great municipality has sprung. Rich in cultural heritage and deep in spiritual values, Tagbo is a very significant event preluding the birth of a town every dear to the hearts of her sons and daughters.

SANAYON Agro-tourism festival in the southern towns of the second district about 100 km from the city. A month-long activity to spread out tourism to the coutryside.

TRES DE ABRIL CELEBRATION Celebrated every 3rd of April in commemoration of the Spanish resistance in the south. This historic battle under Leon Kilat's leadership gave Cebu the glory of being the first major island outside Luzon to oppose Spanish dominance.

External links

• Official Website of the Provincial Government of Cebu
• Official Website of the City Government of Cebu City
• Sun.Star Cebu Online
• The Freeman News
• Cebu Portal and Visitors Guide
• Dazzling Cebu - What it is now
• VirtualCebu.com - Cebu Photos
• LakbayPilipinas.com - Cebu Photos and Travel Guide
• CeBu CeBoom CeBlog - Upbeat on Cebu's Blog
• Cebu Photo Gallery
• Cebu Real Estate
• Philippine Travel and Destination

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